Mar
Yes, everyone agrees a mind is terrible thing to waste, yet we often take it for granted. Every day, we bathe and cleanse our outer bodies, but what about our brains? How do we “clean” our brains, so to speak? Our brains need a thorough cleaning from our negative mind stuff, which I call “etheric garbage.” First, awareness is important, and then of course, we seek a solution.
When we refer to “mind,” it is our choices, perceptions, actions, intentions, thoughts, and feelings. When we say “mind,” we point to our brains. But the mind is not a thing that resides in the brain but in fact is in every cell, tissue, organ and every micro space of our bodies. Brain is the instrument that records and imprints all our experiences, events, traumas, emotions, and memories in the brain on a myelin sheath or white brain matter, which Ayurveda calls tarpaka kapha. According to Ayurveda, old emotions and impressions are felt in the heart, sadhaka pitta, and imprinted on the tarpaka kapha. When recalled, these imprints of traumatic memories are triggers that cause distraction and pain. Our goal eventually is to find peace and joy. This means these unconscious imprints and recorded memories in our brain called etheric garbage must be detoxified and deleted. Removing and erasing these old impressions can be altered with intention to become more conscious, and to bring our highest expression to manifest.
To understand the “cleansing” of the brain, we must understand our lymphatic system, which is a grand waterway flowing through our entire bodies. Our lymphatic system “cleans” our brains while we sleep and also nourishes and hydrates our cells with nutrients. The lymphatic system rejuvenates and detoxifies through increased flow of the cerebral spinal fluid and eliminates toxins and waste through excretion through urine, sweat, and feces. When the lymphatic system is stagnant and the flow is not ideal, then we accumulate what is called ama or toxins in our body, causing dis-ease and disease.
But there are several vibrational practices of Ayurveda:
- Pranayama are breathing exercises and breath retention techniques.
- Singing, chanting, and humming can remove unwanted impressions from the brain with focused intention. Sing yourself into joy and peace. Imagine, this can happen without going to a psychologist. I have had great success in working with a yoga voice teacher who has helped me tremendously. Find a holistic healer in a modality you connect with.
- Another traditional treatment is Nasya, applying oil in your nose, another ayurvedic remedy which cleanses the passages of the brain and sinuses and relieves headaches, bringing more clarity for peak performance for vision and brain.
- The use of herbs and oils for massage. In India where I grew up, oiling hair before going to school was a practice that my mother did, and then my long hair was tied into a tight braid. My mother used to say the oil cools the head. Also, salons in India do an hour-long hair oil massage with special Ayurvedic oils. When I visit India, I always go to my favorite salon for a hair oil massage. It feels luxurious, relaxing, and calming. After the massage, they wash and blow dry my hair, and I come home with the weight of stress lifted off my shoulders. Simple but effective! You can do this at home yourself with coconut oil, Amla oil, Brahmi oil, or olive oil. I usually heat the oil to room temperature before applying for better absorption.
- Vibrational therapies, such as energy healing like Universal White Time Healing, a modality I administer and teach, can be used with intention to emit light particles, or biophotons, that can flush the brain of unwanted etheric garbage. UWTH is a painless, noninvasive therapy that can travel great distances with the intention of the practitioner. It can be done as a long-distance technique, so we are not limited to being there in person.
- Many plant-derived herbs are brain tonics, such as Brahmi or Gotu kola, bacopa, and manjistha, and help with the cleansing of our brains. These enhance cognitive abilities, improve memory and learning, increase attention and recall of memories, and reduce inflammation. So many benefits can be received from simple practices.
- A simple thing you can do is to drink watermelon juice, which is great for the lymphatic system. It is also delicious and refreshing. Watermelon is in season right now, so it is very fresh, especially if you buy it from a farmer’s market. I recently bought some seedless watermelon at the farmer’s market, came home and made juice out of it. It’s really simple and easy to make! I have a recipe for Watermelon Juice in my cookbook Turmeric & Spice.
When the mind is contented and happy, we exude radiance, confidence, and vitality because our spirit within is happy. The balance of mind, body, and spirit is important to feel healthy, happy, and whole. This is Ayurveda’s simple science of life in a nutshell.
